But what about your middle finger no longer being in the middle?
November 15, 2024 10:37 PM Subscribe
Having an extra thumb on one hand may massively boost your manual dexterity, but wouldn't it be hard to learn to use? Not according to a new study, which found that the majority of a wide variety of people got the hang of the thing in just one minute. Study in Science: Evaluating initial usability of a hand augmentation device across a large and diverse sample. Video: "Testing the Third Thumb"
I love how they are like "our research subjects are usually university age men" so they on purpose pursued a broader range of ages and genders.
posted by freethefeet at 11:24 PM on November 15, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by freethefeet at 11:24 PM on November 15, 2024 [4 favorites]
Doubled thumb dexterity, yes, and also doubled middle finger gesture!
posted by otherchaz at 11:47 PM on November 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by otherchaz at 11:47 PM on November 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
I heard this lady speak recently on Radio NZ/RNZ, they seek out NZers working and studying offshore. Interesting how their lab are employing literal crowd-testing.
Dani Clode's website, some truly strange and amazing ideas on there - look for VINE, it's.., ... it may be NSFW.
I met a robotic prosthesis designer recently IRL and very excited as I have a haptic device I'd like to see in use so it was an opportunity to bring it up.
posted by unearthed at 11:48 PM on November 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
Dani Clode's website, some truly strange and amazing ideas on there - look for VINE, it's.., ... it may be NSFW.
I met a robotic prosthesis designer recently IRL and very excited as I have a haptic device I'd like to see in use so it was an opportunity to bring it up.
posted by unearthed at 11:48 PM on November 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
The tiny clip right at the end of the video of using the 3rd thumb to hold a circuit board, with finger and thumb holding the solder, leaving the other hand free to use the soldering iron took this from 'huh, that's weird but cool' to 'I really want one of these'. The amount of times I've just wanted a 3rd hand when soldering small components rather than having to fuss about with croc clips on a springy wire clamp thingy...
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 1:03 AM on November 16, 2024 [8 favorites]
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 1:03 AM on November 16, 2024 [8 favorites]
We're seemingly locked into a cyberpunk dystopia future at this point, so it's nice to get one of the cool features of one every once in a while.
posted by dick dale the vampire at 1:07 AM on November 16, 2024 [12 favorites]
posted by dick dale the vampire at 1:07 AM on November 16, 2024 [12 favorites]
How does this help with crochet and knitting I want to know. Recently I forced myself to relearn purl the Norwegian way which is much faster and it took a while to retrain my hands. With another thumb involved - maybe that’s the secret behind the Shetland islanders’ legendary speed!
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 1:12 AM on November 16, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 1:12 AM on November 16, 2024 [2 favorites]
People are just shooting straight for the middle finger (which seems appropriate to the zeitgeist, let’s be honest), but overlooking the real problem: the thumbs-up gesture. With a second thumb, what’s somebody even trying to say? This, too, feels a bit like a timely metaphor.
posted by gelfin at 3:25 AM on November 16, 2024
posted by gelfin at 3:25 AM on November 16, 2024
WANT.
posted by inexorably_forward at 3:43 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by inexorably_forward at 3:43 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
I want to see a version of that video where practical special effects artists have applied latex/makeup/etc to make the third thumb look like a real thumb.
posted by The genius who rejected Anno's budget proposal. at 5:50 AM on November 16, 2024
posted by The genius who rejected Anno's budget proposal. at 5:50 AM on November 16, 2024
Yeah. I'm solidly in the "give me my robot thumb" camp.
posted by thivaia at 6:31 AM on November 16, 2024
posted by thivaia at 6:31 AM on November 16, 2024
Conveniently, using the middle two fingers in such a case is also a rude gesture. Well, not the exact middle two, now that I see that they put the other thumb on the other side.
posted by notoriety public at 7:46 AM on November 16, 2024
posted by notoriety public at 7:46 AM on November 16, 2024
Vincent: Twelve fingers or one, it's how you play
Irene: That piece can only be played with twelve.
- Gattaca (1997)
posted by mrjohnmuller at 8:07 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
Irene: That piece can only be played with twelve.
- Gattaca (1997)
posted by mrjohnmuller at 8:07 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
This is cool. Using your toes for control reminds me of how old school skid steers used both hands and both feet for control (new ones just have fancy multi axis joy sticks). Took me a couple hours to get the hang of operating a bobcat but after that I didn't have to think about it anymore than riding a bike or using a fork.
But it would be really cool if we could eventually go full Tech Marine and control a third arm.
posted by Mitheral at 10:00 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
But it would be really cool if we could eventually go full Tech Marine and control a third arm.
posted by Mitheral at 10:00 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
I think I'm safe in predicting that a new form of porn is at hand.
posted by SPrintF at 10:54 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by SPrintF at 10:54 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
a third arm.
That and a second head might make you eligible to be Galactic President.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:06 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
That and a second head might make you eligible to be Galactic President.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:06 AM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
We are one step away from losing our only lever for maintaining dominance over cats.
posted by biffa at 2:41 PM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by biffa at 2:41 PM on November 16, 2024 [1 favorite]
but overlooking the real problem: the thumbs-up gesture
Augmentus Caesar puts flesh thumb up, and robot thumb down.
The Mega-Colisseum gasps.
The Cyborg Gladiator is allowed to live, but his online presence is deleted.
posted by otherchaz at 2:48 PM on November 16, 2024 [3 favorites]
Augmentus Caesar puts flesh thumb up, and robot thumb down.
The Mega-Colisseum gasps.
The Cyborg Gladiator is allowed to live, but his online presence is deleted.
posted by otherchaz at 2:48 PM on November 16, 2024 [3 favorites]
Here is the evidence I need to prove to people that the thumb is a finger! If it weren't, we wouldn't have a middle finger.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 8:51 PM on November 16, 2024
posted by I-Write-Essays at 8:51 PM on November 16, 2024
I think I'm safe in predicting that a new form of porn is at hand.
One of the links in the comments already seems to show off an articulated tentacle…
posted by teece303 at 7:30 AM on November 17, 2024
One of the links in the comments already seems to show off an articulated tentacle…
posted by teece303 at 7:30 AM on November 17, 2024
Man, I really want to see video of a talented pianist playing something with one two of these!
posted by BlueHorse at 2:52 PM on November 17, 2024
posted by BlueHorse at 2:52 PM on November 17, 2024
Well, if this is toe-controlled (two toes to operate), does that mean we can have up to five extra thumbs? Or fingers, or tentacles, or some combination? Located anywhere? The possibilities are endless, even though the first use is likely to be porn of some sort.
posted by dg at 5:47 PM on November 17, 2024
posted by dg at 5:47 PM on November 17, 2024
Wait, do you have individual dexterous up-down control over each of your 8 smaller toes? (Brain interface is probably the real future for this, at which point you can probably train for nearly anything.)
posted by nobody at 6:58 PM on November 17, 2024
posted by nobody at 6:58 PM on November 17, 2024
I hadn't thought of that, but extensive testing suggests I may have to do some evolving for my plan to work completely. I'm available for surgery to add a USB port to my brain if that helps avoid the effort involved in rapid evolution.
posted by dg at 7:41 PM on November 17, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by dg at 7:41 PM on November 17, 2024 [1 favorite]
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posted by potrzebie at 10:49 PM on November 15, 2024 [4 favorites]